Today, we are so dependent on technology that we forgot to use our senses. We use apps for almost everything. Recently, my office renovated a room for prayers/contemplation. They put up a sign for where the kiblah1 should be. A few people disputed the direction because their apps showed a different direction. Now, my app also showed a different direction but I know the direction is wrong. The direction based on the signage is correct.
And yet, the app’s North, South, or East didn’t tally with what my senses tell me. Edinburgh is great for navigation as there are clear landmarks. To the North of Edinburgh is the River Forth. If your building is behind the Castle like my office is, The Castle and Princes Street is to our North. The South is marked by the Pentland Hills. To the East is Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat. Those are visual landmarks. Therefore the direction of kiblah should be between Arthur’s Seat and Pentland Hills. However, the apps are pointing to between Princes Street and Arthur’s Seat. That is clearly not correct.
You can also tell the direction by observing the sun’s journey across the day. The sunrise in the summer starts where the app points to the direction of the kiblah. And we know that summer sunrise starts from the North East. Whereas sunrise in the winter starts roughly from South East. The message is clear – we need to rely less on technology and get back in touch with our senses.
I have touched on this subject of navigating using landmarks in this post, here, to cultivate our sense of direction. The use of landmarks is also good when navigating in urban/unfamiliar settings. I remember over 12 years ago during my hajj/pilgrimage that I used these navigation skills to get back to my tent in Mina. Mina is a tent city where pilgrims have to stay during the actual hajj rituals and have very few landmarks. However, it was laid out in grids when I was there. Grids really simplify navigation in build up areas.
Coming back from Mecca, we were dropped off at the edge of Mina. The guys in our group didn’t know the way back, including our guide. And no one seemed to want to consult the big map on the side of the road. I left them to argue and read the map. Ahead of us was the overpass which was on the map. Using it and the tents on the left side of us as landmarks, I visualised the path to our tents. Not being patient (one of my great faults), I just left the group and started walking. Before long, the rest followed. By God’s grace, we managed to get back safely without getting lost. Map reading and locating where we are on the map is an important skill to have. It reduces reliance on GPS which the apps use. There are courses on them for those who are interested in navigation.
Going beyond landmarks, I am currently reading, albeit very slowly, a book by Tristan Gooley entitled ‘Wild Sings and Star Paths.’ Really interesting as it teaches you to observe nature’s signs e.g. sun, weather, plants, animals, and landscape features. We should not just rely on instruments, enhancing awareness and connection to our surroundings, even in urban settings.
I was sharing with my friends one of the pointers I learned from the book while we were out walking. Looking at the trees, the side with more moss is likely the North facing side. That is because there is not much sunlight and so the wood is wetter. You notice it too with the roofs. The north facing side have more moss growing on them. These are practical skills which also connect us to our environment.
- Kiblah is the direction of prayers for Muslims. In Edinburgh, it is roughly South East (around 120 degrees). ↩︎
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